Obama to Have Laptop in Oval Office

I just learned that President-Elect Barack Obama will have a laptop on his desk in the Oval Office. Duhhh, you say? Well, did you also know that Obama will be the first president in the history of the USA to use a laptop on his desk? Why is this important? It is a sign. A sign of a president who does plan on doing work on his desk and he will harness the productivity power of the computer. It also is an indication of someone that understands the tremendous power of the Internet. Think about this — as President of the United States, you are isolated. You are surrounded by security and staffers who shield the outside world. Your exposure to TV is probably filtered by people who identify critical news that you should watch. Your world view is viewed by the professionals that brief on world affairs, history and recommended responses. You essentially live in an Ivory Tower known as the Presidency.

Now we will have a President who hopefully will at least have access to a Web browser. Imagine that… a president who can read news, blogs, social media rants and even home made videos on YouTube. Do I dare think that the isolation of the Presidency that delivers President George Herbet Walker Bush did not know the price of a gallon of milk, will be shattered with the use of a laptop in the Oval Office?

Maybe I am dreaming. But maybe, just maybe, we will have a President who will solicit his own information leveraging the same tool that millions of us have come to rely on every day. – Glenn